Velazquez's agent Angel Cordero Jr. told a Santa Anita spokesman by phone that the jockey was about to be released from a Pasadena hospital after he was thrown from Secret Compass and hit the track hard during Saturday's first Breeders' Cup race when doctors discovered internal bleeding.

Cordero says Velazquez was immediately taken to surgery for the spleen removal.

The 41-year-old New York-based jockey has won most of the nation's major stakes, including 13 Breeders' Cup races.

The filly, Secret Compass, was euthanized on the track after breaking her leg during the $2 million Juvenile Fillies.

Related Stories

Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "Post comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be Polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.